Six Real Reasons Why You Should Go Paper Less in 2015

By: | Category: Document Management

It is 2015 and the decade of the mobile device is well upon us. In case you haven’t noticed, everywhere you go people are holding and reading information from tablets, big mobile phones, or ultralight notebooks. But do all these people still love paper? Nope!

Let’s face it: paper is just no longer the most convenient medium. For so many reasons, it is on the way out. Ask book and newspaper publishers, map makers, medical record processors, retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, lawyers, human resource departments, and yes the people in your unique business too. OK, if you’re in the memorabilia business or antique books maybe not, but you get my point!

So why is 2015 the year to take the plunge? Here are six reasons why you should go Paper Less in 2015.

1. It is Just so Much Easier

It was five years ago, January of 2010, when Steve Jobs stood in front of an astonished crowd in San Francisco and showed the first iPad, yes the device was met with disbelief and criticism, but what a change in our world the iPad has made. Fast forward to 2015 and we now know how right he was. It was projected that by the end of 2014 that over 7 billion mobile devices, tablets, big smart phones, and ultra-portable computers will be in the hands of people all over the world.

What this means is that you not only have a very larger number of people wanting electronic documents, but also that the techies who create the special software that allow you to create, distribute and process electronic documents are building more and better solutions. There are thousands upon thousands of apps and full blown electronic document solutions on the market today. Leaders like Microsoft, EMC, IBM, Alfresco and scores of new companies have developed better, faster, cheaper, cloud based solutions, designed to meet your specific business need. The investment is right because they are in the cloud and your staff and customers probably already own the hardware needed to run these great business solutions that can make paper go away!

2. Save a Ton of Money

Ever take the time to calculate how much paper business processes and storage cost you? Don’t! It will immediately have you calling your doctor or heading to the nearest bar. It is expensive.

Numerous studies, conducted by industry leading research firms like Gartner, AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management), Forester and the like have shown that the average life cycle of a typical business document is on average $12 per document and can go as high as $100. If you do the math, the number becomes astounding!

If your business is in New York City or another high rent metropolitan region, then a room of file cabinets is costing you a fortune. It used to be true that you had no choice, paper was essential, but that is no longer the case.

3. 80 Million People

What is your fastest growing customer demographic? What group will most of your employees be in over the coming years? Millennials, that’s who! The 1.85 billion people in the world, over 80 million in America, born between 1980 and the late 1990’s, determined, bright, forward thinking people, brought up in a digital world.

They want things their way and unless it is a recycled material, wine label, shopping bag or packaging, paper is not part of their agenda. What is the point they wonder.

4. You are Buried Under an Avalanche

And more snow is coming! This is not Global Warming or Global Chilling, no it is the tsunami of data, that’s the last weather metaphor. It is the huge increase in daily, hourly, minute to minute information that businesses must constantly deal with these days.

International Data Corporation (IDC), the premier global business analysis firm, reported in 2011 the world created a staggering 1.8 zettabytes of data and that this volume would be doubling every two years. By 2020 the world will generate 50 times the amount of information. Time to get ahead of this and take control of your data.

5. Get Ahead of Your Competition

If you have not yet embraced a digital approach to managing your business documents, you are not alone. And in this is a great opportunity. Act now and move ahead of your completion. Use electronic business documents to:

  • Revolutionize and Improve Your Customer Experience
  • Accelerate Your Sales and Fulfillment Processes to Warp Speed
  • Attract and Retain the Best Employees with a Work Environment They Will Love
  • Run Your Business Like Never Before with Fast Instant Reporting

These are just a few of the advantages that Electronic Business Document Management can bring to your company.

6. Able To Change and Evolve Your Business in Ways You Never Dreamed of

The thing is, in today’s business world, nimbleness is king. Being able to redesign and change business process as opportunities arise and business conditions change is vital to success. In a paper document world it is just too slow. When you adopt a digital approach, you are arming your business with an array of tools that are infinitely flexible, responsive and give you the power to change, adapt, and thrive.

Want to Know More? Contact me here for more information